Lock for wardrobe-trunks.



T. M. HOUSE.

LOCK FOR WARDROBE TRUNKS.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 24.1917.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

THoMHs ["L'Housz attain T. M. HOUSE.

LOCK FOR WARDROBE TRUNKS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24. 1912.

1,251,231, Patented Dec.'25,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THOMHS M. HousE v I attorney;

UNITE STATES PA NT OFFICE:

THOMAS M. HoUsn, or BICi-IMQNID; VIBGINIA,ASSiGNjQR'TQ:SEwh-RDTRHNKAND BAG COMPANY, or PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OFYVIRGINIA.

LOCK- 'I'O'R wnnniioen riziiivxs.

Specification of Lett er s IPa tentf Patented Dec. 25,1917;

Application filed October 24,1917. Sfi-fNofilQQ-QES? To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I; THOMAs M; Hesse, a citizen of the United States,'residing-at Richmond, in the county of Henrico' and State of Virginia, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Locks 1 for lVardrobe-Trunks, of which the following is a Specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved lock for wardrobe trunks, of that type disclosed in Patent No. 1,218,0l3 granted t0 G. D. Barksdale, March 6,1917. v

It is the primary purpose of the present invention to provide an internal locking mechanism for wardrobe trunks having laterally movable main sections and a hinged top section which is actuated by the'rotation of the exterior hasp lock to simultaneously lock the two main trunk sections and the movable top section in closed position and against relative movement.

It is another important object of-the invention to provide an interior locking mechanism for wardrobe trunks embodying means for actuating spaced locking levers, which' when the lever are in locking positionconstitutes a rigid vertical brace-between the top and bottom walls of the trunk section.

And it is a further object of my inventionto provide a locking mechanism for wardrobe trunks which-consists of relatively few simply constructed elements, positive and reliable in their'operatiomnot liable to easily get out of order and which may be incorporated in trunks of the type referred to without appreciably increasing the manufacturing cost thereof.

VViththe above and other obiects in view the inventionconsists in the improved combination, construction and arrangementr of the several elements as will be hereinafter more fully described, subsequently claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout embodiment of the improved locking mechanism and showing the several parts of thetrunkilocked together agalnst relative move-;

ment;

Fig. 2 1S a similar view showing'the relative {portions of the parts of the locking?-v mecha ismafter 'iii'haS been? actuated to "re-j lease-- thetrunkfsectioris; 1

Fig. 4 "is a vertical section taken on the line' Hof *Fi'g. -l;

Fig-5 is a view similar to Fig? l and illustrating a slightly modified former the de' vice; and I Fig; 6 is a like view showing the elements of'th'e'alternat-ive locki'rigniechariism in re lease position. I

Referring 'in detail to thedrawing and more particuletrhto Figs. 1 to 4 thereof, 5 and 6"designa-te the two laterally movable body sections or" thetrunk which are hinged together alongtheir reat edges'fin the usual manner. The trunk sectiono i adapted to contain" a 1 series-{of drawers (not shown) whileithe-hotheir 1 trunk section 6 may be equipped with .any approved hangersupporting-device. for the purpose of supporting a plurality ofgarmenthangers'within the said trunk 'LSBCtlOfiI This'lattersection of the trunktis further provided with a hinged top Findic'ated atzi'adapted -.to be sw ungout wardl} when hc main trunk sections are ope'nedFand thereby ip ermit of more convenientaccess to theugarment hangers. It will be understood, zof-cou'rs'e, that this type of trunk is verywelliknowniin the art, and constitutes :no part. of :the. present invention which resides solely in the means for looking and holding.- these several parts of the trunk structure vin-closed position (and against relative movement; This: locking amechanis'm I will now .proceedto 'de'scribe'in detail.

Upon the Ifront wall of the-trunk section 5v in spaced relation :to the aupper 'end thereof,*the :usua l' rotatable plate indicated at: 8 is mounted, the-tpin or axis-'9 of this plate extending through the trunk wall; The ha'sp :10 which carriestthe exterior trunk lockisghingedlyconnectedto the'fplate 8, andthe key actuated lock On said haspris adapted for engagementin aisocket plate on "the front-- wall of. the other trunk'section 6,"- whensai'd hasp is moved to a horizontal position and. swung-inwardly. To. the inner-end of the rotat'ablerod or; axis =9a relatively short metal bar 11 isifixed:intermediate ofits ends.

At the juncture of the hook extension l6 10 with the body of the member 14, a notch or recess 17 is provided in the edge of the looking member. The levers 12 are pivotally connected intermediate of their ends as at 18 to the medial portions of the respective locking members 14. The extremities of these levers opposed to the top and bottom walls of the trunk section are formed with the angular lugs 19.

Upon the front wall of the other trunk 20 section 6 and in spaced relation to the upper and lower ends thereof the keeper members 20 are riveted, each of said members being in the form of a metal bar having a looped ,end 21 projecting laterally beyond 25 the front edge of the trunk wall. In these keeper loops'the oppositely projecting hooks 16 on the respective locking members 14 are adapted to engage.

. A third keeper member23 is also fixed to the top wall of the hinged top section 7 of the trunk, said keeper being in the form of a metal plate riveted at one end' to said top and projecting beyond the front edge thereof. This projecting end of the keeper is provided with an opening 24 which, as will more fully-hereinafter appear is adapted to receive the upperend of the upper lever 12.

In the operation of the locking mechanism above described, the main trunk sections 5 40 and6 are moved toward each other to dis-' pose their opposed edges in close contiguity,

the parts of the locking mechanism being in the relative positions seen in Fig. 2. The hasplO is now swung upwardly to rotate the plate 8, and in such rotation of the plate, it will be seen that the levers 12 are moved in relatively opposite directions through the medium of the connecting bar 11 fixed upon the pivot pin or axis 9 of the plate 8. 'The locking members 14 are thus also pivotally moved in relatively opposite directions, and thehook 16 of the upper lockingmemberis moved upwardly through the keeper loop 21 while the loop 16 of the lower locking memher 14 is forced downwardly through the other keeper loop. The inner edges of these hooks coact with the ends of the loops 21, and draw the trunk section 6 laterally to tightly engage the edges of its walls with the confronting edges'of the walls of the' trunk section 5 until finally the ends of the keeper loop 21 are seated in the notches or recesses 17 ofthe locking members 14.

Vv'hen the locking members 'ltiare in the p0,;- '6 5.5 sition' last're'ferred *to, as shown in F ig. "1,

the levers 12 and the bar 11 are in alinement and the angular lugs 19 on the ends of said levers 12 have bearing contact with the top and bottom walls of the trunk section 5 so that the three bars constitute in efiect a cont i r 1uous rigid" vertical brace between said trunk walls. When the movement of the locking members 14 to the positions shown in F ig. 1 has been almost completed, the angular upper end of the upper lever 12, enters the opening 24 in the keeper 23 fixed to the hinged top section of the trunk, and in this manner, the top seotion7 is securely locked in closed position simultaneously with the locking of the main body sections 5 and 6 0f the trunk and relative movement of any one of said trunk sections with respect to the other is thus prevented. To complete the locking of the trunk, it is only necessary to swing the hasp 10, now disposed in a horizontal position, inwardly to engage the lock thereon within the keeper or socket plate on the front wall of the trunk section 6. By means of this improved mechanism it will be readily appreciated that the two locking members 14 are immovably held in their locking positions and cannot be displaced by any jar or shock to which the trunk may be subjected, The severalparts of the locking mechanism may if desired be inclosed within a suitable sheet metal housing though the use of such housing is not essential to the practical operation of the device.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of thedrawings I have illustrated a slightly modified embodiment of the invention, which,however, is adapted for locking only the main body sections of the trunk together, and in the use of which a separate lock mustb'e' provided for the movable top section"? of the trunk. In this modified construction, for the upper look ing member14, shown'in Figs. 1 and 2, I substitute a' locking member 14" which is directly fixed intermediate of its ends to the inner end of the rotary pin or axis 9 of the plate 8. To one end of this locking member 14' the upper end of a single rigid metal bar 12 is pivotally connected, as seen at 18. The lower end of this bar is pivotally connected to the lower locking member 14 11 intermediate of its ends in'the same manner as in the preferred embodiment ofthe invention. The locking members 14 and14 are actuated and moved in relatively opposite directions to engage the keeper loops 21 on the other trunk section in the manner above stated, but inthis modified construction, it will be understood thatas only a single bar 12 is employed it cannot engage the end walls of the trunk, and owing tothe manner of its connection to the locking members, this bar will not be disposed in a perpendicular position when these members are engaged in the keeper loop. Obviously therefore asthe sectional constructionof the '130 connecting, bar between the locking elements section thereof are simultaneously locked in one operation of the exterior lock.

From the foregoingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and manner of operation of the several illustrated embodiments of the invention will be clearly and fully understood. In practice, my improved locking mechanism has been found very serviceable and convenient as it admits of the easy and quick locking of the several parts of the trunk on the interior thereof at the same time that thetwo trunk sectionsare exteriorly locked together. The mechanism is so constructed, mounted and arranged upon the inner side of the trunk wall that when the trunk is locked relative movement of the several elements of the locking mechanism is precluded and they are not liable to be displaced or broken by violent ar of the trunk, such as might occur in the handling of the trunk in transportation. In the accompanying drawings I have disclosed the preferred form and construction of the locking elements and the keeper members, but it is to be understood that these parts as well as the form and construction of the other elements herein referred to are susceptible of considerable mechanical modification. Accord ingly, I reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is l. The combination with a trunk having two relatively movable body sections and a movable top section for one of said body sections, of an exterior lock rotatably mounted on one of the body sections, an interior locking mechanism operatively connected to the exterior lock and actuated in the rotation thereof to simultaneously lock the body sections and said top section of the trunk in closed position and hold the same against relative movement.

2. The combination with a trunk having relatively movable body sections, of a lock rotatably mounted upon the exterior of one of said body sections, interior locking members, keepers on the other trunk section for engagement by the respective locking members and means pivotally connected to the locking members and actuated in the rotation of the exterior lock to opera-tively engage said members with the respective keepers, the pivotal connection between said means and one of the locking members being substantially in line with the axis of the exterior lock longitudinally of the trunk section when said members are in locking engagement with the keepers.

3. The combination with a trunk having relatively movable body sections, of spaced locking members mounted upon the interior of one trunk section for relative movement in opposite directions. keepers on the other trunk section, and means for simultaneously actuating the locking members to engage the same with the respective keepers, said means including relatively movable parts adapted to extend in alinementwith each other longitudinally of the trunk section between the top and bottom walls'thereof when said members are inlocking position to constitute a rigid bracing connection between and in engagement with the locking members.

4. The combination with a trunk having relatively movable body sections and a hinged top section for one of said body sections, an exterior lock rotatably mounted upon one of the body sections of the trunk, interior locking mechanism including spaced movable locking members mounted upon the wall of the latter trunk section, means operatively connecting each of said locking members to the exterior lock whereby said members are moved in relatively opposite directions when the exterior lock is rotated, keepers on the other trunk section for engagement by the respective locking members, and a keeper on the top section of the trunk adapted to be simultaneously engaged by the means connecting one of said locking members to the exterior lock.

5. The combination with a trunk having relatively movable body sections, of an exterior lock rotatably mounted upon one of said trunk sections, interior locking mechanism including spaced locking members pivotally mounted on the wall of said trunk section, a bar operatively connecting each of said locking members to the exterior lock whereby said members are moved in relatively opposite directions when the exterior lock is rotated, keepers on the other trunk section for engagement by the respective locking members, said bars being movable into perpendicular alinement with each other and respectively engaging the top and bottom walls of the trunk section.

6. The combination with a trunk having relatively movable body sections, of a rotatable exterior lock mounted upon the wall of one trunk section, interior locking mechanism including locking members pivotally mounted upon the wall of said trunk section respectively above and below the exterior lock, bars operatively connected to the exterior lock and pivotally connected intermediate of their ends to the respective locking members, keepers on the other trunk section, said bars moving the locking members in relatively opposite directions when the exterior lock is rotated to operatively'engage said members With the respective keepers, and said bars being thereby moved into perpendicular alinement With each other at their connected ends and into contact with the top and bottom Walls respectively of the trunk section.

7. The combination With. a trunk having relatively movable body sections and a hingedtop for one or" said body sections, of an exterior lock rotatably mounted upon one of said trunk sections, interior locking mechanism including movable locking members mounted upon the wall of said trunk section respectively above and below said exterior lock, keepers on the other trunk section for engagement by the respective locking members, a keeper on the hinged top of the latter trunk section, and bars operatively connecting the locking members to the exterior lock to move said members in relatively opposite directions when the exterior lock is rotated and engage said member with the first named keepers, said bars being thereby moved into perpendicular alinement with each other and into engagement with the top and bottom Walls respectively of the trunk 1 section, one of said bars operatively engaging the keeper on the hinged top section of the trunk to simultaneously lock said top section in closed position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS M. HOUSE.

Witnesses: y

L. J. House, BETTIE D. House.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of 2mm, Washington, D. 0. 

